Hampton Focuses On Classrooms

Board To Discuss Finances Tonight

HAMPTON — Faced with an expanding enrollment, school officials want to spend $22.7 million over the next five years for a new elementary school, classroom additions and other building improvements.

While the school system's capital improvement plan also focuses on maintenance needs like roof replacements, parking lot repavings and new air conditioners, most of the money - about $13.5 million -would be used to provide space for more students.

``It's real important from an instructional point of view, to maintain a good student-teacher ratio,'' Superintendent Raymond G. Washington said of the need for more space. ``It also implies safety security when you have space to accommodate other students.''

The plan will be introduced at tonight's 7:30 School Board meeting at the School Administrative Center - the old Jones Junior High - which would be converted back to a school under the proposal. After the School Board approves the plan it will go to a city committee for eventual approval by the City Council.

The overriding theme in the plan is Hampton's space crunch.

The city is projected to gain about 3,000 students by the turn of the century, according to University of Virginia estimates released this fall.

The current enrollment is just under 23,000 students. Officials had projected an enrollment of about 23,500 this fall. Because of the exaggerated projection this year, school officials are re-examining long-term enrollment projections. But no one doubts that the enrollment will continue to rise, Washington said.

Officials say virtually all of Hampton's 33 schools are at capacity. Many of them are now using portable classrooms to accommodate students.

The capital improvement plan's big ticket item is the new elementary school, which has been discussed for the last year. It would be built just south of the York County line on Big Bethel Road at a cost of $6.2 million. No opening date is set.

``We'd like to have it within the next three or four years,'' Washington said.

The administrative center at 1819 Nickerson Blvd. would be converted back into a school at a cost of $600,000. Another $600,000 would be spent to lease new office space for the superintendent and his staff.

The plan now is to vacate the building in early 1995 and have it ready for middle school students by the following fall, Washington said.

Throughout the five-year period, school officials plan to expand all four of the city's high schools plus Spratley and Lindsay middle schools. Altogether, classroom construction would cost $4.7 million. In the meantime, leased portable classrooms will be used. The school system now has about 30 of the units in use and plans to bring the total to 50.

Construction isn't the only thing on the agenda. Officials also plan to buy 10 school buses at a cost of $414,000 and spend $3 million for an electronic network that will link all of the city's schools by computer. The school system has grabbed national attention for its use of computers throughout the division.

IMPROVEMENTS

* Hampton school officials say they need $22.7 million to make school improvements in the next five years. About $13.5 million of that will be used to create more class space. Here is how they want to spend some of the money:

* $6.2 million for a new elementary school.

* $1.2 million for converting school headquarters back into a school and leasing new offices.

* $4.7 million for classroom additions at six schools.

* $3 million for an electronic network that will link all schools by computer.